Chapter 31:
(Isabella POV)
- 3 weeks later -
I started being there for breakfast and dinner at Casita. I was talking to my family and everything but, I was just going through the motions most days. i hated how much I let Caleb effect me and how much I missed him. I decided to stay home today and was spending time with my (honorary) niece. I finally found out Daniela's gift and I smiled as she told me all the people that she has met so far. I'm glad she likes her gift.
We were sitting in the living room and she smiled at me, "Tía Isabella is there anyone you would want to talk to?" I smiled at her, "No one that your gift could help me with." Daniela looked confused at this, "Well then why don't you talk to them?" I let out a long breath, "It is a grown up thing, you wouldn't understand." She lets out an annoyed breath, "I hate it when adults say that." I smiled at her, "Trust me, you don't want to understand. Being an adult l is too complicated, stay a kid for as long as possible."
She looked at me for a moment before she started smiling, "Can you braid my hair? You are the only one who knows how to do it perfectly" I let out a little laugh thinking about her choice of words before I nodded my head, "Of course and you can fill me in on all the town gossip. I know that you are always in the loop." "Because of Mama," she said and I nodded my head, "Because of your Mama. Especially your pregnant Mama" She laughed now and I divided her hair into sections and manipulating it into an elaborate braid.
As we finished I saw Mirabel, Luisa and Dolores hanging in the doorway, "Daniela we have to go, Papa and Pedro are waiting for us in town." Daniela gave me a quick hug before running over to Dolores. Dolores smiled over at me already showing signs of her pregnancy, I knew I'd have to be careful with what I say. Dolores and Daniela left to go to town. Mirabel and Luisa came over to me, "You're great with kids." Luisa said sitting to my right and I rolled my eyes, "No better than anyone else in this house. Besides Daniela is practically an adult in a child's body." Mirabel sat to my left, "Still never want kids?" I nodded my head, "I can't." I gave them a smile, "Besides there is no one in town I'd even want to have a family with anyway."
Luisa nudged my arm slightly, "But, maybe someone who doesn't live in town." I rolled my eyes and went to stand up, "I'm not talking about this." Mirabel and Luisa crossed their arms across my body, "You are not escaping this conversation this time." I smiled to them, "But I am" and then I grew a vine from the ceiling it wrapping it around my wrist and swinging out of the room.
I was walking in the main corridor when I heard Mirabel and Luisa behind me, "Come on Isabella. We won't talk about it, but we want to spend time with you today." I turned to face them, "Fine but we aren't talking about the other thing either." Mirabel started, "But Isabella it's your birthday." I looked at both of them, "And I don't want to talk about it." I haven't really liked my birthday ever since my Quinceñera and I never really wanted to celebrate it again. I still have a kinda obligatory family meal but other than that I like to ignore the day altogether.
"Please let's go out. We can go to the fields or the jungle if you want," Mirabel begged. I let out a breath, "Fine. Let's go out to the jungle then." They nodded their heads and we took the path from Casita and into the jungle. We see Antonio riding on his jaguar with a girl riding behind him. I looked over to my sisters, "How could he have a girlfriend, he is a baby?" Mirabel commented. I smiled at her, "Well he is almost 15." She brought her hands to her ears, "Nope I refuse to listen to this. He is still the little kid I shared the nursery with for years." I laughed at her slightly, "Well I mean you are almost 25." Mirabel's eyes widened, "Nope, you didn't want to talk about your Birthday we are not going to talk about anyone's ages." I nodded in agreement.
We made our way out deep into the jungle until we reached my favorite tree. I grew three vines down and wrapped them around each of our wrists, "Hang on." I pulled all three of us up to my high platform. "Isabella what is this place?" Luisa asked. I smiled, "My favorite spot in Encanto." I looked over at them, "I grew the tree when I took over for Dolores on patrol and I've added to it growing it more and more throughout the years." Mirabel just seemed surprised, "Why didn't you ever tell us about this place?" I just shrugged, "I only ever showed one person this place. Other than that it was my oasis." Luisa gasped, "All those times we couldn't find you even though Dolores heard you in the jungle." I shrugged, "Yeah." We all talked a little more and as the sunset we made our way back home for dinner.
When I opened the door I saw everyone standing there waiting for us yelling surprise. It was the entire family, the Sanchez's (excluding Luca), the Guzmans, the Herrnandaz's, the Nuenez's, the Ramierez's and a few other important families from town. Nina ran up to me and gave me a hug, "Happy Birthday Isabella." I wrapped my arms around her trying to suppress the glare I was willing to give to the rest of my family. I looked at everyone and saw that they had decorations hung around Casita. I thought I made how I felt like my birthday clear but maybe not. Or maybe they thought it would be nice, but either way there was a party going on now. "Tía Mirabel, Tía Luisa you were supposed to keep her out longer, now everyone else is running late" Daniela said. I looked back at them, "Everyone else?" Nina who was still in my arms smiled, "Where is Caleb?" I let out a half shaky breath.
Within an hour everyone from town was at Casita and I really didn't understand why. I pulled Mirabel upstairs and into my room, "We don't usually do any birthday this big besides the big one and Quinces, why is the entire town here today." Mirabel looked down, "Well Daniela, Laura and Pedro thought you have been a little upset..." I shook my head, "No, you don't blame the kids. You are all the adults why did you guys plan this?" She shrugged, "I don't know. Isabella it started being planned that first week after everything happened, where you were barely around, and I guess we thought maybe it was a way to jumpstart you being back here and in the community."
"The community," I said running my hands through my hair, "Do you know how much I wish that we didn't have to constantly think about our soldiery community." I let out a long breath before looking back at her, "I'm going back down there because I don't want to deal with what will happen if I don't." I turned to leave when Mirabel said, "Isabella no one is going to make you do something that you don't want to, I can tell everyone to go home or..." I let out a breath, "Everything has a consequence Mirabel and some things even if you don't really want to do them are better than the alternative. But as soon as the whole cake thing is done, I'm out of here."
I went back downstairs and smiled for the kids and let myself go through the next couple of hours with as little drama as possible. Mama and Abuela brought out a cake and I blew out the candles. I stayed for exactly 20 minutes after that before disappearing. The party was so wild at that point that no one would notice my disappearance anyway and the kids were being pulled up to bed as soon as the finished the cake. I went out the back door near the kitchen and went out into the jungle. I let out a long breath as I got further away from everyone else.
I made my way to my tree and climbed up going up to the first platform. I looked over Encanto and closed my eyes but, I didn't want to look out into the distance either. I heard someone clearing their throat behind me. I didn't bother to look at who it was, "I'd like to be alone right now." "You don't see me for over a month and you won't even look at me," I turned and saw him. I let out a coarse breath, "Caleb." He smirked, "Happy Birthday." I walked over to him and gave him a hug. I looked up at him and ran my hand through his hair before pulling him down for a kiss. I then leaned back and looked at him, "How-how did you know it was my Birthday?"